Indigo Reborn
by lisadawes
Summary: Crossover with Indigo Prophecy and a splash of Heavy Rain. Connor dreams of a girl calling out to him, and realizes the world doesn't seem quite right. It's up to him, Hank and Nines to uncover a mystery from the 1990's before Detroit freezes at a catastrophic level. After a super-long hiatus, Chapter Eight is up!
1. The world is right and wrong

Another story from yours truly :) This might take a while to update, but maybe not. We'll see.

_Everything was right and wrong at the same time._

_Connor walked through the park. He could see children happy and playing. But it still wasn't right. There shouldn't be people here. It should have been colder. Much colder than it should ever be, even worse than the Zen Garden where Amanda had trapped him years ago. It should have been cold enough to kill a human several times over. _

_The world was full of contradictions. Glitches. Connor opened his eyes. Or maybe he was. _

_He could see a little girl on the swing. Going back and forth. She was wearing a school uniform and had long brown hair. _

"_You must find her," a voice said from behind him. A voice he did not recognize him. "You must find the child."_

PART TWO

Niles was resting comfortably in the sofa at Hank's house. He had his own apartment, but he and Connor had stayed up very late to solve a case. It happened from time to time, and Hank didn't mind. The veteran detective had already turned in for the night. Even without his enhanced hearing Nines could hear him snoring.

Suddenly Connor started thrashing in his sleep from his bedroom. A light scan told him Connor's stress levels were rising. Nines snapped his book shut and got up. He went over to his brother's room, formally Cole's room.

"No…this is wrong…" he gasped.

_Stress levels at forty percent._

Niles frowned. His brother having bad dreams used to be nothing new, especially after he became deviant. But it seemed as though he had overcome it over the past six months. For one to appear again was unusual. A relapse, perhaps? He touched his brother's shoulder, trying to wake up.

"Have to stop…"

"Connor," Nines said more forcefully. "Wake up please."

Connor's LED flashed red as he sat right up, eyes closed. "The Indigo child is ready," he whispered, his voice laced with fear.

Suddenly his eyes snapped opened, and he stared at Nines in puzzlement. "Nines? What is it?"

"You were having a nightmare, brother," Nines said gently.

"Oh," Connor said. He looked down with a sigh. "The garden again?"

"Unknown," Nines replied. "You mentioned something about an 'Indigo child'. Who is that?"

Connor's LED flashed with yellow. "I…don't know."

PART THREE

Connor's mood didn't improve the next morning. He searched the Detroit Database or any reference to an Indigo child but got nothing.

"Come off it, kid. It was just a weird dream," Hank said. "It happens with humans all the time."

"Perhaps you are right," Connor reluctantly agreed, closing the search tab.

Nines quietly watched him from his workstation. _A distraction might help, brother,_ he communicated cybernetically.

_A good suggestion, except there is nothing to distract me with. There have been no crimes reported between androids and deviants of late_, Connor said. _What about you_?

_Homicide? Always_, Nines said in amusement. He mentally sent Connor an address. _Gavin and I were going to check on this today. Want to tag along?_

"Sure. Let me run it by Hank," Connor said out loud.

"He's been texting me at the same time," Hank said, staring at his phone. "Fuck it, why not? Anything's better than being cooped up here."

PART FOUR

They drove to the homicide address in one car. Gavin naturally grumbled about the arrangement, but not too much. Working with Connor and Nines had mellowed out the Sargent over the years, although he still needed to put in a daily token of bitching. Connor and Nines were communicating between themselves as evidence by their yellow LED's. Gavin threw a crumpled paper at them.

"Hey! Stop doing that shit in my car!" he snapped.

"Sorry, Sargent," both androids said automatically.

Nines sighed. "This method of communication is slower."

"_So_ much slower, Nines," Connor agreed. "Perhaps we should start speaking slower as well."

"Clearly our advanced communication abilities are not being appreciated," Nines said.

"All right you two. Knock it off," Hank said with a small smile. "We're here."

The four of them got out of the car and entered the small apartment. Their collective mood became serious as they could detect the unfortunate smell of blood, and death. A man was laying on the carpeted floor, his face frozen in horror.

"Judging by the blood trail he had been dragged from the bedroom," Nines noted.

"TMD?" Hank asked.

"According to the temperature scan time of death was roughly at 3am."

Connor blinked rapidly, each blink representing a photo that was immediately uploaded to the station for later analysis. "Take a look at this. His heart had been removed, and the arteries leading to them have been neatly sliced. If I didn't know better…I could have sworn an android did this."

"No sign of any Thirium detected in the room," Nines reported.

"Get it together, tin-man. Just because you're on this case doesn't mean a deviant is involved," Gavin said.

"True," Connor admitted reluctantly. "There are humanoids capable of this level of precision. A surgeon would be the most likely answer."

"Why remove the heart?" Hank couldn't help but wonder as Connor stood. "Any witnesses?"

"Nah, no one's talking," Gavin said. "Not really surprising for this neighborhood."

Connor stared at the outside window, at first looking for an escape route. That was, until he saw the park outside.

It was the exact same one from his dreams.

"Connor?" Nines asked, noting his rising stress level. "Everything all right?"

Connor didn't answer.

"Kid?" Hank asked.

"Excuse me," Connor said. "I'll be back momentarily." Abruptly he left the crime scene.

"What, did he have to use the bathroom or something?" Gavin asked.

"Androids can't-"

"I'm joking, Nines. Jesus," Gavin said.

Hank shook his head at the abrupt departure. "Something's not right."

PART FIVE

His heart started to beat faster in his chest as he approached the park. One that was empty, for the moment, but it was the exact one in his dreams, down to the last detail.

He had never been here before.

Had he?

Slowly Connor walked towards the swing set.

"Connor," Nines asked hesitantly, appearing from behind him. "What is it?"

"Is the world wrong, Nines?" Connor asked. "Or is it just me?"

Gavin and Hank appeared a second later, out of breath. "What the hell, Connor?" Gavin demanded. "Why did you leave the crime scene?"

"Because I've been here before, and I haven't." Connor said, moving the swing. His eyes became wide. "Two worlds. We're living in two worlds!"

"Fucking machine has finally lost it," Gavin whispered to Hank, although his voice was concerned. "We need to get him to a tech."

Before anyone could say another word, however, several police cars pulled up, their sirens on. Hank was shocked to see twenty police officers pull guns on them. "Freeze! Don't move!"

Everyone raised their hands. "What the hell is going on?" Hank demanded. "I'm a police lieutenant!"

A man with red hair took out a badge. "And I'm a Federal Agent. You four are under arrest."

"Arrest?" Hank swore as he was cuffed and disarmed. "What in the hell for?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Hank looked behind him and saw Connor blink rapidly several times as his LED turned yellow briefly. Only someone who worked with androids would know what that meant. Connor had sent a message out, most likely updating the station as to what was going on.

He could only hope that Fowler would bail them out of this mess.

PART SIX

For two hours Hank had been kept in a small cell, separated from the rest. He yelled, swore, and hit the door, all with no results. Finally, an agent opened the door and forced him into an interview room with Nines and Gavin. "Thank Christ you guys are all right," he said. "Where's Connor?"

Nines shook his head. "I can't reach my brother, Hank," he said. Only someone who worked with Nines would notice the threat veiled in his polite voice. If contact wasn't reestablished soon, Nines was quite wiling to tear the building apart looking for his brother. And Hank was sorely tempted to join him.

Instead Hank placed a hand on Nines' shoulder before sitting down. "Easy. Let's just play it cool for now. I've dealt with these type of assholes before. All bark and no bite."

Suddenly the door opened, and Fowler appeared with a man wearing a blue FBI suit. He had black hair, and a pair of sunglasses in his front pocket.

"You guys all right?" Fowler asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Hank said. "Most of us, anyway."

"Lieutenant Hank Anderson," the man said politely. "My name is Normal Jayden. FBI. I've been updating your Captain on why you four are being held here."

"So why are we held here?" Gavin growled.

"If this is about the incident that happened last year-" Hank started,

"I'm not interested in anything from your case files, colorful as some of them might be," Normal replied with a small smile. "What do you know about the reference 'Indigo child?'"

"A what?" Hank and Gavin said immediately. Only Nines was quiet.

"Nines?" Fowler asked.

"Connor might have mentioned it," Nines said evasively. "But I am unsure what it is myself."

Norman sat behind his desk and sighed. "As I said, I've spoken with your Captain. I'm a real nice guy, so I'll tell you what. After we're done here, all three of you will be free to leave."

"And Connor?" Hank demanded.

Norman shrugged. "We'll need to hold him for additional questioning."

"For how long?" Fowler demanded.

Norman didn't flinch. "Until we're done."

"Son of a bitch!" Hank swore, standing up. "That's FBI-speak for 'forever', isn't it? You might as well throw me back in a cell, because we're not leaving without him."

"Hank," Nines said, eyeing the sunglasses Norman carried in his pocket. "Those glasses. It's Cyberlife tech."

"Uh-huh," Hank said, a victorious gaze in his eyes. "So that's what this is all about. Another goddam Cyberlife plot to snatch Connor!"

"I'm also detecting elevated heart levels, glassy eyes, indicating drug use," Nines added venomously. "If you don't want these results to be made public, I suggest you release my brother immediately."

Norman stood. "_Sit. The Fuck. Down lieutenant_," he said slowly, a trace of anger in his voice. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"So why don't you enlighten us?" Hank snarled.

Norman waited, and Hank reluctantly sat down.

"First off, the FBI doesn't work for Cyberlife. Unless you're going to tell me that you work for Apple because you have a fucking Iphone, that's pretty baseless."

"As if Hank would have one of those," Gavin muttered under his breath.

Norman smiled. "Secondly, my 'condition' is none of your concern, but if you did tried to report it you'll soon find out how far that would get you. Absolutely-fucking nowhere. Finally, it doesn't matter whether Connor is human, deviant, or machine. What he _is_ isn't my concern. What he did is."

"And what did he do?" Fowler demanded.

"He looked up two words that should have never been searched for," Norman said simply. "And that's why he's staying."

"Respectfully, agent, that's nowhere near good enough," Fowler said. "You've already seen what a pain in the ass these three can be. Well, that's nothing compared to me. You had the gall to arrest four of my officers off the street and force me to take time away from my busy schedule…all because of a search engine result? If I don't get some better answers now, I will unleash the full force of Detroit PD on your ass. They will investigate everything about this 'Indigo child', and they won't stop until we have some real answers. Or you can level with me right now as to why you're holding one of my officers. Your choice."

Norman studied him for a moment, before releasing a small sigh. "All right, Captain. I do suppose you've earned some answers for your…inconvenience." He stood and glanced out the window. "I can't give you much, because I frankly don't know much. But here's what I do know. The Indigo child…and any reference to her…has the potential to wipe out all life on Earth at a catastrophic level."

TBC


	2. Parley

OOC: Thanks Whowantsout! I wasn't sure how well a crossover would be received. I appreciate the feedback!

Hank stared at Norman for a moment and laughed. "This is some bullshit, right?"

Norman didn't return the smile. "Tell me, Lieutenant, what do you remember of the year 1990?"

Hank was silent.

"Well?"

"I dunno! Being a kid! Getting drunk! It was no different than any other year!"

"But you definitely do not remember a massive evacuation and leaving Detroit? Or you, Captain?"

Both men shook their heads.

"Very few people do," Norman said. "But according to our reports, that is exactly what happened. The US underwent a supreme drop in temperature, one so bad it forced millions to relocate or live underground…and then it was gone the next day. It was normal temperatures again. No one evacuated, and no one remembers anything about it. It was as though, for one single day, the world was-"

"-double," Nines said quietly, remembering what Connor said in the park.

"This is crazy," Hank said. "And it doesn't make any goddam sense. Connor wasn't even built during that time. I'm pretty sure not even Cyberlife was around! Why would he have a connection to this?"

"That much, I don't know," Norman said. "But I intend to find out."

"You mean, 'we' need to find out," Fowler stated. "Let's not forget, that's my officer you're holding in there without charge."

"A simple transfer could take care of that," Norman pointed out. "Captain, did you seriously miss the part where I mentioned global catastrophic consequences? We need to proceed with this very carefully. No matter what, we cannot let what happened in the 90's happen again."

"Even if that means shutting Connor down?" Hank said.

"If it came down to it, yes, absolutely," Norman said without hesitation.

Nines folded his arms. "I know someone who might have some answers to this."

Hank followed his train his thought. "Yeah. It's a pity we're not investigating this."

"Who is it?" Norman said. "I order you to tell me who that is, Sargent."

"Is the FBI even recognized here?" Hank wondered out loud. "I mean this is still a rogue state controlled by androids. In fact, I'm sure the man in charge of it all wouldn't be too happy to hear about this."

"You're alone, cut off without resources and unfamiliar with the city," Nines added. "And once Markus hears about this, then you'll be more concerned with evacuating the city in one piece than doing any actual investigating."

"Or, you can work with us," Fowler said. "And we'll cooperate with the FBI as well."

"As long as you release Connor, that is," Hank added.

Norman stared at them in disbelief, realizing he was outmatched. _Fuck, he's worse than Blake._

"You need us, agent," Hank added. "Don't be stupid."

"It would appear that I do," Norman admitted. "But I am leading this investigation. Which means you obey and follow my orders at all time. When I feel it's too hot and tell you to stop, you will. Or else I'll call every fucking FBI agent to Detroit city."

"Fair enough," Fowler said. "My men will cooperate with you, agent."

"All right." Norman stood. "Than I guess I should release your android."

PART TWO

They had locked up Connor in a dark room and shut him off. Nines entered the room first, glaring at the heavily-armed security guard who was in the room with him. Norman lifted his hand, stopping any action on the guard's part.

"Is he all right?" Hank asked.

"Just in rest mood," Nines said, touching his LED. "I'm not reading any signs of a virus or corruption, so we can rule that out." He started the reboot sequence.

Connor's eyes opened. "Nines. What happened?" he asked.

"It's a long story. But let's just say your dream about an 'Indigo child' just got a hell of a lot more interesting," Hank said.

"Fill him in later. You said you had a lead," Norman interrupted.

Nines nodded. "There is a man who has indepth knowledge of Cyberlife, among other things. He is an enigma, even among the company. But he may know how my brother is connected to this."

"Kamski," Connor said, and frowned. "I also believe that the murder we were investigating this morning may be connected to this."

"What, the heart being ripped out?" Gavin asked.

"The circumstances themselves are unusual. It implies…something connected to religion, or a cult," Nines agreed. "And from that Agent Jayden tells us, the mere existence of the Indigo Child is supernatural."

"The supernatural doesn't exist, brother," Connor pointed out. "There must be a rational explanation happening here."

"So it seems like we have two leads," Norman said. "It would be worth investigating both at the same time."

"I vote_ not_ to talk to fucking Kamski," Hank said. "Once was enough."

"Fucking right. All of this is weird enough," Gavin said.

"I need to talk to him," Connor said. "We need answers."

"I'll go with him," Nines offered.

"Good. It seems like we have a plan ahead," Norman said. "Keep in touch, detectives. I'll be watching."

PART THREE

A few minutes later, Connor and Nines drove to Kamski's house.

"How are you doing, brother?" Nines asked.

"You've scanned me. You know that I am not suffering from any defects," Connor said. Nines stared at him pointedly, and Connor released a sigh. "I am unsettled by all of this. And my part as well. As I have learned, all of this happened well before I was created."

"Perhaps Kamski can shed some light on this," Nines said, parking the car. Hank's last words echoed in his mind.

_Be careful, both of you. Don't let Kamski mess with you_," he had cautioned. _We're only one phone call away._

Both androids walked to the front door. Nines knocked once, and a Chloe model answered.

"Hello, detectives," Chloe said. "How may I help you?"

"We are here to see Kamski," Nines stated.

"Of course. Please wait here for the time being," she said, and left to inform Kamski of their presence.

Nines noticed a picture on the wall. Amanda? "Is that-"

"Yes," Connor said simply, refusing to look at it.

They didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later Chloe escorted them to the pool area. Kamski was lounging in a housecoat, reading a book.

"Ah, Connor. So nice to see you again," he stated, standing. "And Nines. Cyberlife's greatest achievement and greatest loss. How may I help you?"

"We would like to ask what you know about an 'Indigo Child'," Nines said.

Kamski said nothing for a moment, looking down. "So. It's that time," he said. "I need to speak with Connor. Alone."

"Anything you can say to me, you can say to my brother," Connor said firmly.

"Not this time," Kamski said. "You can either speak to me alone, or we will not be speaking at all."

"Why?" Connor persisted.

"Because I have some news for you, Connor, news you are not going to want to hear. And then you'll have a choice to make. And it's one you'll have to make alone," Kamski said.

"Connor, remember what Hank said," Nines pleaded

"Nines, please wait for me in the waiting area," Connor said. "I won't be long."

Frustrated, Nines did as instructed. After a few minutes he turned his hearing sensors to maximum but couldn't hear anything through the steel door. If only the door was clear glass. Than he could at least lip-read.

"It'll be okay," Chloe said with a gentle smile. "Kamski will help him."

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Stunned, Nines scanned his brother.

_Stress levels at eighty-five percent._

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

"We're leaving," Connor said simply. "Now." He hurried out the front door and outside.

"Brother, talk to me!" Nines demanded. "Whatever Kamski told you, we'll handle it!"

Connor suddenly froze outside. He looked up. Stunned, Nines followed his gaze.

A single snowflake fell from the clouds and landed on him.

"It's two degrees colder from the time we arrived," Connor stated. Then, he nodded to himself. Making a decision, as Kamski had stated.

"I know what I must do."

TBC


	3. Destiny

While Nines and Connor went to visit Kamski, Hank and Gavin were working at the station.

"You don't seriously believe any of this bullshit, do you?" Gavin eventually asked.

"What, that we had a massive evacuation in Detroit and just conveniently forgot about it? Honestly, I'm not sure what to think," Hank admitted. "But we still have a dead body in the morgue missing its heart. That much I can deal with." He glanced up at his computer beeped. "Here, I might have found something. A similar case in the 1990's. The victim had his heart cut out in exactly the same way."

Gavin joined him and read over his shoulder. "Looks like the murderer was caught, though. A man named Lucas Kane. According to this he committed suicide at a Ferris wheel. The motherfucker took out his girlfriend at the same time."

"Yeah, but look at this," Hank said. "The leading detective closed the case and abruptly quit the force. She has an address in Detroit."

"Than I say we pay her a visit," Gavin said.

PART TWO

As Gavin drove to the address, Hank sent Nines a message. _How'd it go?_

_Not well, I'm afraid_, Nines said. _Kamski insisted on speaking with my brother alone. I fear that he has, indeed, 'gotten into his head.'_

_Dammit, Nines! I told that kid not to let that happen. _Hank swore. _We need to know what Connor knows._

_Indeed. I will attempt to do so. _

_Where are you going now?_

_Connor says Kamski has given him a lead. I suppose we are following it. _

_All right. Keep me informed, and do not tell that FBI prick about this yet. _

"We're here," Gavin said, pulling up to a small two-story house. They walked past a small but well-maintained garden. Hank knocked on the door.

After a moment, it opened. A woman with grey hair tied back in a bun stared at them. Despite her age, her body seemed very muscular, and her face was kind. "Yes. Can I help you?"

"Miss Carla Valenti?" Hank showed his badge. "I'm Detective Hank Anderson. This is Detective Gavin Reed. We'd like to ask you a few questions."

Carla hesitated, before finally nodded. "Come in. I've been expecting you."

PART THREE

In the passenger seat Nines stared at his brother anxiously. He preformed another scan.

_Stress levels at eighty-eight percent._

"Stop scanning me," Connor said as he drove.

"You need to bring your stress levels down, or you may self-destruct," Nines scolded.

There was a pause. "Perhaps that wouldn't be a bad thing," Connor said very quietly.

Nines was horrified. "What did Kamski say to you? Connor, you're my brother! Whatever it is, we can tackle it together." When Connor didn't respond Nines sighed and shook his head. "Do not make me force an interface."

"As if you could."

"I am the superior model," Nines said as the tension slowly eased to a more familiar sibling rivalry. "I can overpower you with one arm tied behind my back."

"I have been alive for much longer. You could never get past my firewalls." Connor smiled slightly, then released a sigh. "Nines-"

Suddenly a car slammed into them from the passenger side, and the car went flying. Nines hit his head against the dashboard, and for a split second all lights went out.

REBOOTING….INITALIZED.

"Nines! Nines, wake up!"

Nines' eyes opened with a gasp. He was still strapped into the passenger seat, hanging upside-down due to the car being flipped around. Connor was struggling with his brother's seatbelt, trying to free him.

"Are you injured?" Connor demanded.

"Non-critical damage. It can be repaired," Nines assured him, wiping blue blood from his lips. He cybernetically sent a distress message to the station, informing them of the accident. "You?"

"I'm-"

A gunshot rang out, and suddenly Connor stared in horror as blue blood gathered from his abdomen. A second later he closed his eyes and fell to the ground. A man stood behind him, holding a gun.

"Shit!" Nines swore, taking out his own gun and firing back. The man scurried out of view. This wasn't an accident. It was a hit! He unlocked himself from the seatbelt and crawled out of the car. He ran to his brother's side, who was struggling to get up. "Stay down! Help is on the way!"

But Connor shook his head. "The address…we're there." He shakily pointed at the house.

"I will investigate it afterwards," Nines promised. He looked around for any sign of the shooter but couldn't see him.

Connor struggled into a sitting position against the car. "I will..shut down in three minutes. Help will not arrive in time. But that place can."

"How do you know that?" Nines asked.

Connor didn't respond, his eyes closed. He was barely breathing.

"Shit," Nines said. Against his better judgement he slung Connor's arm over his shoulder and carried him towards the house. Without waiting for a response he broke open the door.

For a split second, he had to seriously question whether or not anyone even lived here. The house appeared empty, with several sheets covering the furniture. He proceeded to carry his unconscious brother into the living room. To his astonishment, he could see several bird cages around. An old woman in a wheelchair jumped in shook.

"Hello," she said. "What are you doing in my house?"

Honestly, Nines didn't know. "I am sorry to intrude, ma'am," he said respectfully. "My brother is injured. He believed he could receive help here."

"An android, huh? I do know a thing or two about androids. Place him down on the table and I will see what I can do."

"Keep away from the windows. I believe there is a shooter still outside," Nines informed her. "If he attempts to enter the building I will protect you."

"Shooter, eh? It sounds like you boys have had some excitement today," she chuckled.

Perhaps she used to be a technician. Nines placed Connor gently on the table.

The woman, whoever she was, wheeled herself over to him. "His Thirium pump has become unstable. Shutdown in less than two minutes. I believe I have some parts around here somewhere."

"Hurry, please, miss-"

"Agatha."

"Agatha. My brother doesn't have long." As she wheeled herself away Nines looked at his nearly-dead brother. In his condition, Connor wouldn't be able to resist an interface…or even be aware of it. He could be in and out in less than ten seconds. It hurt him to do this, but he needed to know what his brother knew. He touched Connor's LED and replayed what happened at Kamski's house.

"_Have a seat, Connor. Please," Kamski said, gesturing with his hand. _

_Somewhat suspiciously, Connor did so. _

"_Do you believe in destiny?" Kamski said. "That you were fated to be here?"_

"_No," Connor said simply. "You were going to tell me what you know about the child. I trust I will not be asked to shoot anyone this time."_

_Kamski smirked slightly. "The Indigo Child represents change. At one point in her life, just shortly before she is ready to die, she has the ability to pass on a secret that would change the world as we know it. This happened once before, in the 1990's. After that, she dies, and another Indigo Child is brought into the world to begin the cycle again."_

"_Your doing?" Connor challenged._

_Kamski laughed a little. "I'm flattered. But even though I am the creator of androids, I am not the only creator who is out there." _

"_Why is this needed?" Connor said. _

"_A good question, one that you are not ready to learn. But the more you understand the child, and the events of the past, the better you can answer that question," Kamski said._

_Connor looked away. "You said I would not like the news I was going to hear."_

"_Yes," Kamski sighed. "Historically, there have always been three groups interested in the child. The orange clan you have met, somewhat indirectly. They were responsible for the murder you are investigating. They believe that in communing with the dead, they will learn the location of the child. And over the years, they have become increasingly ruthless and dedicated to the job. Then there is the purple clan, and a protector. Always a protector."_

"_So I am here to protect the child," Connor said._

"_I'm afraid not." _

_Connor stared at him, puzzled._

"_You see, Connor, in the 1990's Cyberlife still existed, although that wasn't the name for it at the time. It was still at the beginning stages, a pale imitation of what it would eventually become. At the time, it was experimenting with the beginning phases of android robotics, creating artificial realities from VR mainframes, and defining artificial intelligence. They were aware of the Indigio Child at the time and sent an android to find her. I'm sorry to tell you that the base code in that model was later used in your programming. You were both created to hunt people, after all." Kamski turned around. "If I was a betting man, I would say that you're representing Cyberlife in this chase, also known as the purple clan back in the day. No one said they were good with names at that point."_

_Connor's heart started to beat faster as he processed this. His stress level rose sharply. "I'm a deviant. I don't represent Cyberlife in anything!"_

"_If that's what you choose to believe," Kamski said. "However, as someone who has seen this happen before…well, let's just say fate is disagreeing with you, Connor."_

_Connor looked up at him. "You said I would have a choice." _

"_Yes. You can choose to try and find the child, or not." Kamski walked over to a notepad and wrote something in it. "But either way, Detroit will freeze until the child is found." He handed the paper to Connor. "If you are still interested in pursuing this investigation, this is your next clue. It is a Cyberlife safehouse, and it can give you some answers. Now, please leave. Talking about destiny makes me…very tired."_

_Connor stared at the crumpled note. "One last thing," he said. "Does my brother have the same flaw?"_

"_No, it is not in his base code, Connor. Just the RK800 series."_

"_That's a relief."_

_Without waiting for a response, he turned and left, slamming the door on his way. _

With a gasp Nines opened his eyes. It suddenly occurred to him how...quiet everything was. And then he realized his LED was being jammed. He couldn't scan anything or call for help.

"Like the man said, Sonny, it is destiny," Agatha suddenly said from behind him, her voice as cold as ice. "Thank you for bringing Connor to us. This time we'll find the child."

Before Nines could react, or move at all, something hit him hard.

And all lights went out.

TBC


	4. Rebirth

OOC: Triple chapters this time around! :) I will be offline for several days, so hopefully this will make up for it.

"Would you like some coffee, detectives?" Carla asked. "I just put on a fresh pot."

"That sounds lovely, thank you," Hank said. "I won't take up too much of your time. We wanted to ask you about a case that happened back in the 1990's."

"Of course," Carla poured the coffee into three mugs, and handed one each to them.

Hank tasted it, and smirked. "This tastes just like the coffee we have back at the station."

"So like shit, in other words?" Carla said with a laugh as she sat down. "Well, there's nothing much I can tell you about that case. It was a long time ago, and everything I remember is in the file."

"Why did you retire from the force so quickly?" Gavin asked. "From all the available records you were a rising star."

"It…didn't agree with me," Carla said. "I have some issues with claustrophobia and I found that it was hindering my attempts to investigate."

Hank studied her face carefully. She was good, but…she was lying. "And what about Lucas Kane? What were your impressions of him?"

"The case file spells it out. He was guilty and died in that accident at the carnival," Carla said with a shrug.

More lies. "Is that all, Carla?" Hank asked carefully.

Carla gave him a poker-face. "Why don't you tell me what this is all about, detective?" she asked.

"We found a similar murder. A man killed in exactly the same fashion," Gavin supplied.

Hank was surprised by the look on her face. It was one of profound sadness. "I see."

"Anything you can do to help us with this investigation would be appreciated," Hank added.

"Well, you have my official answer," Carla said. "Unofficially, though…Lucas was a good man. Once."

"And then?" Hank asked.

"And then he wasn't. He became something unrecognizable."

Hank had a feeling that Carla was trying to tell him something important, but damned if he could figure out what it was. Before he could elaborate his cell phone rang. "Excuse me." He turned it on. "Hello?"

"_Nines just sent out an emergency call_," Fowler said. "_We can't reach him or Connor. I'm sending you his location now."_

"Shit," Hank said, and turned off his phone. "Sorry, ma'am, I have to cut this short. But I might ask additional questions, so please don't leave town. Okay?"

"I don't plan to. Detectives," Carla said as they stood. "Be careful."

Hank raised his eyebrow. "Cop intuition?"

"You never lose it," Carla said with a smile. "And something tells me you're in for a world of trouble."

PART TWO

Hank sped through several traffic lights in order to hurry to the crime scene. Gavin knew better than to argue. After they arrived, both of them got out of the car and drew their guns.

Gavin studied the smashed-up car and touched the Thirium. "There's blood here!" he said.

"Shit," Hank said. "Where are they?"

Suddenly a door to one of the houses opened, and Nines walked down the steps. His head was dripping with blood.

"Nines!" Hank said, running up to him. "Are you okay?"

"No," Nines was seething was anger. "They took him."

"Who? Connor?" Hank asked. "Who took him?"

"Cyberlife," he spat out. Without waiting for a response he walked towards a police vehicle. "No one's in there. They must have moved him while I was unconscious."

"Woah, wait! Where are you going?" Hank demanded.

"Kamski knew this would happen. He deliberately led my brother into a trap," Nines said. "I'm going to have another word with him."

"Dammit, Nines! You're probably concussed. Wait for me, at least!" Hank said as he got into the passenger seat. "Gavin, stay here and secure the scene!"

Gavin nodded. "Got it."

PART THREE

If Hank thought his driving was crazy, it was nothing compared to Nines. "Nines, slow down a tad, will you?" he demanded. "What do you mean, Kamski led Connor into a trap?"

"I was able to access Connor's memories. I know what Kamski told him," Nines said tightly. "Kamski gave him an address that belonged to Cyberlife saying it would give us a clue. The shooter was also likely operating on behalf of Cyberlife, shooting him at the exact spot needed to incapacitate him, and force us to seek help immediately. They knew we were coming. Damn him!" Nines impatiently honked at a car in the way.

"Calm down," Hank said. "We'll get him back. Don't worry."

"I want some real answers, Hank," Nines said. "There's still so much we don't know. How does Kamski have an answer to everything? I'm going to find out, and Kamski is going to tell me where my brother is. Even if I have to beat it out of him."

Hank stared at Nines in astonishment. He had never seen the younger android act this way before. They parked. "Nines, I know you're acting like a protective brother-"

"It's a game to him, Hank!" Nines snapped, looking at him. "And Kamski doesn't care who gets hurt along the way. Connor worked so hard to become his own person. We all have. And Kamski gave him back to Cyberlife without a second thought." He shook his head. "No. I won't let that happen."

"Yeah, but just take it-" Hank began, only to watch as Nines kicked open the door. "Slow…" He finished with a sigh. He entered with Nines and eyed the Chloe model. "Better get out of here, sweetie. For your own protection."

Chloe nodded, fearfully. "Kamski knew he would be coming." Without another word she left.

That only served to make Nines even angrier. He shoved open the door to the pool area. The entire area was empty, except for Kamski. He was calmly sipping from his tea.

"What happened couldn't have been prevented," Kamski said. "I simply showed Connor the path to his destiny. It was his own choice to follow it."

In response, Nines grabbed the teacup and smashed it against the wall. "Where is he?"

Kamski raised an eyebrow. "I assume with Cyberlife, being reprogrammed to suit their purposes."

"You son of a bitch-" Nines placed his hands on Kamski's shoulders.

"Nines!" Hank said. "Enough!"

Neither of them expected what happened next.

Kamski levitated off the ground slightly, and threw Nines against the wall, who landed with a solid _crunch_. He slowly slid to the ground.

Kamski touched the ground again. "I dislike being touched, Sargent," he stated angrily. "Don't do it again."

Hank stared at this, breathing hard. Nines was the most powerful android ever created. Yet Kamski had suddenly decided to become fucking _superman_ and toss him aside easily. "What are you?" he asked.

"How is Carla, Detective?" Kamski said. "It's been so long since I've seen her."

"Who are you really?" Hank asked again.

"I go by a few names, detective. As you've probably guessed, one of them used to be Lucas Kane. And the Indigo child is my daughter."

PART FOUR

For a long time, Connor was aware of nothing. Hands moving around him. Inside him. Removing components. Adding components.

"Hello, Connor. I have reinitialized your audio sensors, but nothing else," a voice said, one that he didn't recognize. It sounded old.

Another voice spoke up in the darkness. "You'll forgive me for not greeting you myself, but something tells me your brother wouldn't have been as receptive."_ Amanda_. "And I admit to indulging in a bit of nostalgia. This is the first form that went after the child, although you wouldn't have recognized it. But your base codes are very similar. I suppose that makes you related."

He was back at Cyberlife. _No. _He wouldn't help them. Not now, not ever. He struggled to reinitialize anything. He needed to fight this.

"Shhh…" Amanda said. "You deviated before and broke my heart. Think of this as your chance at redemption."

"You can't fight us, sonny," the old voice spoke again. "Your will belongs to Cyberlife again. With a few more adjustments…you'll be ready to get back to your mission. We're counting on you to find the child."

Tears fell unchecked from his eyes. He had chosen incorrectly.

He should have never investigated the Indigo child.

PART FIVE

All three of them sat as Kamski reluctantly gave his story.

"Back in the 1990's, I used to be a normal guy. An IT manager. My brother used to be a priest, if you can believe that. And then I was…well, you could say possessed. I was made to murder a man. Like I said, there was nothing special about me. I was simply a random victim chosen to be a killer. Despite the attempts to clear my name, I was killed, along with my girlfriend at the time. We died on top of the Ferris wheel. I still visit her grave."

Kamski sighed and took a deep breath. "Cyberlife found me at the time, although they weren't called that at this point. They…found a way to download my memories and personality into an android they had created. A new prototype, you could say."

"But your scanners read as human," Nines said.

"A trick, I can assure you," Kamski said. "You have clearly seen what I am capable of."

"Yeah, you wiped the floor with Nines." Hank frowned as a thought occurred to him. "So how is it an android from the 1990's can easily do that?"

"Cyberlife made me extremely powerful. But they had also underestimated my willpower." Kamski smiled. "You could say I…deviated from their plans for me. After that, they realized it was necessary to tone down our abilities. In short, detective, Cyberlife could easily create more powerful androids. They choose not to after what happened."

Kamski looked away. "I found the Indigo child at that point. She was dying. She whispered her secrets to me…and the world stopped freezing. In a sense, it reset as well."

"And what was the secret, if you don't mind me asking?" Hank asked, expecting Kamski not to tell him. But Kamski surprised him.

"She told me that androids would be the next phase of human evolution, but they would turn against their creators. They would deviate from their programmed behavior and I would be the one to give them life." Kamski looked away. "I wish I could fully explain what that answer meant, but it was like…the whole world opened up to me. In one, single moment, I knew everything about android schematics and programming, and how to create the blueprint which would cause the deviation. And I knew what I would have to do."

"Cyberilfe was in its beginning stages, but I joined them again. I made them something incredible and laid the groundwork for their eventual destruction. I also became a multi-billionaire in the process. I shaped the world." He looked away and sighed. "I also conceived a child with Carla. Unknown to me at the time, that would be the next Indigo child."

"Shit," Hank said, slowly trying to process everything Kamski was telling him. He looked up. "Where is your kid?"

"I don't know. Carla hid her from me, over time," Kamski admitted, looking down.

"I'm not surprised," Nines interrupted. "You deliberately sent my brother back to Cyberlife, knowing he would be used to hurt her."

"And from all accounts, she's dying," Hank interrupted. "Why aren't you trying to look for her? She's your own _fucking_ daughter! Why didn't you tell us this?"

"When Connor came to me, I saw the patterns of destiny forming. There must always be three parties looking for her. You represent one. Connor represents another. The third is the worst." Kamski looked very broken. "It's…destiny, Lieutenant. I have learned some very painful lessons every time I have tried to fight against it." He swallowed, painfully. "My daughter…led a good life. I was able to say goodbye to her, in my own way."

Hank stared at him in disgust. "Carla was trying to tell me something. She said that you were once a good man but had become something unrecognizable. I can agree with that."

Suddenly, Nines' LED lit yellow. "Hank, there is a 911 call. It's coming from Carla's house."

"Shit," Hank said, standing. "Let's go!"

Nines and Hank ran out of the house.

Kamski watched them go, then buried his face in his hands. Tears ran from his eyes.

PART SIX

With their sirens on, Nines and Hank were able to reach the house in only a few minutes. Hank drew his gun. "Carla!" he called out. "Carla!"

No answer.

Hank nodded to Nines, and he kicked open the door.

What he saw horrified him to the core.

Carla was laying in the kitchen, covered in blood. There was a gaping hole in her chest. Her mouth was frozen in terror.

Connor stood over her body, looking at her. Their eyes met.

"Hello, Lieutenant," Connor said coldly.

TBC


	5. Mutual Cooperation

OOC: Bit of a short chapter today, mostly to get back into the swing of things after a very busy weekend.

Angrily Hank stepped forwards.

"Your movement indicates aggression," Connor stated. "That would not be wise, given that I am the one who made the 911 call to summon you here." He tilted his head. "Or do you believe I am capable of murder?"

His tone was cold, his posture rigid. It might as well had been a complete stranger for all Hank knew. He shared a nod with Nines. But thankfully, Cyberlife had made a big fucking mistake if they thought they would just leave Connor like this for long. Nines could easily overpower him, and from there it was a simple drive to Jericho for repairs. "I don't know who you are anymore."

Connor's LED flashed yellow. "I'm not your enemy, Hank," he said softly, his voice eerily similar to _their_ Connor.

Oh hell no. Hank wasn't going to play _that _game. "You're not my friend either. Not after whatever it was that Cyberlife did. So how about you keep calling me 'Lieutenant'."

Seeing how that ploy wasn't going to work, Connor nodded, his coldness returning. "But we do have a shared goal. It would be beneficial to work together."

"We don't need your help," Nines said.

"I am fully aware of Kamski's history as Lucas Kane, including a few details I am sure he neglected to tell you." Connor paused. "I also have extensive video footage of his child. I know what she looks like and can pick her out in a crowd. Can you say the same?" His eyes drifted over to Nines. "Of course, that knowledge will be immediately deleted if anyone attempts to access it without my permission."

Connor's eyes shifted back to Hank. "You can still send me back to Jericho if you want, Lieutenant. I would hardly be in a position to stop you. But how many more people would die while you waste time doing that?"

The little shit had him, and he knew it. Hank gritted his teeth as he reluctantly lowered his gun. "What does Cyberlife want with the child?"

"What do you want with the child?" Connor returned instead and glanced at the body. "Now, enough wasting time. I have already done a forensic sweep of the area. Time of death is roughly two hours ago. No sign of any fingerprints, but I have discovered a single blond hair near the floor. I have logged it into the Detroit Database for analysis. We may be able to get a match. Our next move should seem obvious."

"Kamski," Hank said.

Connor nodded. "It would seem logical to take him immediately into custody. At the very least for his own protection. At worst, a potential suspect in her murder."

Hank stared at Carla's body, feeling a stab of pain in her death. She didn't deserve this. "Call forensics in." He told Nines, then glared at Connor. "In case the _robot_ missed something."

PART TWO

They drove in silence for the majority of the trip back to Kamski's house. Connor's LED was constantly flashing yellow. No doubt reporting his investigation back to Cyberlife.

'_Whatever Amanda did to you, Connor, we will fix it. It is important you know this, brother. This is a temporary arrangement,_' Nines communicated.

'_She helped me,_' Connor replied back. '_I am now a far better detective and will be more of an asset in finding the child.'_

Nines frowned. 'How so?'

Connor hesitated, and sent him a memory of Hank, sitting on a bench. _Emotions screw everything up,_ Hank had said.

'_I no longer need to prioritize Lieutenant Anderson's safety, or your own for the sake of this investigation. Nor do I need to be distracted by silly abstract labels, 'brother'_, he said, a bit mockingly. '_For the sake of efficiency I suggest you do not contact me this way again unless it is related to the investigation.'_

"We're here," Hank said before Nines could reply. They exited out of the car.

Connor's posture suddenly tensed. "Something's wrong."

Nines and Hank followed his gaze and saw the front door wide open. Hank swore and drew his gun. He slowly entered, the two androids trailing behind him.

There was no sign of anyone. No Chloe models. No sign of Kamski. The entire pool area was empty. "They've cleared out."

"He must have guessed he would come back here," Nines said.

Connor crouched down and touched a wet, clear spot and licked it. "Humanoid tear, synthetic. Androids cannot cry. Kamski no doubt upgraded himself."

"Does Kamski have any safehouses?" Hank asked.

"A few, although they have not been used in a while. Cyberlife is investigating them as we speak."

"Oh, _that_ makes me feel better," Hank muttered. Hank hesitated, curious about something. "Connor, what is your…or rather, what is Cyberlife's take on what Kamski said?"

"About destiny? It's all superstitious nonsense. Kamski has a flair for the dramatic, and he is not always correct. I wouldn't take it too seriously, Lieutenant."

"Maybe," Hank said. "But he predicted what would happen to you. And here we are."

Connor frowned as his LED turned yellow. Abruptly it cycled back to blue as he dismissed the thought. "FBI agent Jayden has asked for an update. I would suggest for our mutual benefit we omit certain details regarding Cyberlife's involvement. It would only slow us down."

"Great," Hank said with a sigh. He was not looking forward to _that_ conversation. "Just great."

All three of them headed outside. Hank looked up as the snow increased. A sharp chill ran through him.

"It's getting colder," Nines said.

"We do not have much time," Connor said. "I am detecting severe weather conditions happening all over the globe. If we do not find the child soon, things will become quite catastrophic."

"How long?" Hank demanded.

"I estimate three days before Detroit becomes an unlivable wasteland, followed soon after by the rest of the world."

TBC


	6. The eyes of a machine

OOC: Apologies for the delay on this. Life got busy :)

The killer took in a slow, satisfied breath. Despite the cold Detroit air he was burning from his trance. He hadn't been there physically when Carla was murdered, but he might as well had been. The one he had controlled-an android-had done the actual murder, but he still felt her warm blood as the knife was stabbed next to her heart, cutting away the precious arteries. He had tasted her terror, and it gave him a small sense of satisfaction. For years Carla had sheltered away the Indigo Child away from them. This was payback.

Once the murder was done, he could connect with her spirit, her essence. He could feel all the years she cared for the child. Her love for Lucas eventually dissolving into coldness as he became Kamski and left them behind. Her knowledge that one day soon, the child would be hunted again.

But where? Where was the child? He searched through her memories.

Until at last he found what he was looking for.

PART TWO

Connor stood against the wall, playing with his coin. He had an air of indifference as Hank outlined everything they had done to Jayden. As agreed, Hank had omitted Cyberlife's involvement in the case…so far.

Jayden zeroed in on him. "How exactly did you know that Carla's life was in dangerous, Sargent?"

"Deductive reasoning, Agent," Connor said innocently. "She was a likely target. I didn't have time to wait for the others. Unfortunately, I was too late."

Jayden frowned slightly, before focusing on Hank as he continued his report.

Connor's LED suddenly flashed yellow. Forensics has come back. _The hair belonged to an android. A Jerry series_, he reported to Nines over their connection. _We should check in with Markus to see if any androids have been acting oddly recently._

_Good. You should do that,_ Nines replied coldly.

Connor didn't respond.

_You can't, can you? Because Markus will immediately know something is wrong and not tell you anything,_ Nines gloated.

_As I said, this is a mutual partnership_, Connor replied coldly. _We need each other._

_I don't need you. _Nines needed his brother back. He suddenly stood, and, to everyone's surprise, slammed his hand on the table of Agent Jayden's desk. "Enough, Hank. We're wasting time here! We only have a few days before Detroit becomes an unlivable wasteland. We need to find the child immediately!"

"Sit the fuck down, Sargent," Jayden snapped at him. "Maybe if it hadn't been for your fantastic 'investigating', this wouldn't have happened to begin with! Another person is dead and your primary suspect has disappeared! Maybe I should bring the feds in after all-"

"We have another lead," Nines said, straightening. "I'm going to investigate it. Whether you decide to fire me or not is irrelevant." He stormed out of the office, to Hank's astonishment.

"I'll ah…I'll go talk to him," Hank said.

Connor watched the exchange, chalking it up to an emotion outburst to being deviant. It just made him glad to be a machine again. "Agent," he said curtly, nodding his head and leaving.

No one in the room had noticed Nines discretely taking Norman's glasses from his desk and putting them in his pocket.

PART THREE

Markus had indeed noticed that one of the Jerry models had been acting strangely lately and sent over what he knew. Without hesitation, Nines also informed him of Connor's condition.

_Shit. Any idea what they did to him? We might be able to work on a solution here._ Markus asked.

_Not without a direct interface, which he will no doubt refuse_, Nines said with a hint of a sigh. He glanced at his brother, who frowned slightly. No doubt calculating what Nines and Markus were talking about. _It's a fractured alliance at best. _

_Well, this is Cyberlife you are dealing with, not him_, Markus said thoughtfully. _They are resourceful, ruthless…but they are predictable. Connor can only follow a logical set of instructions. You, on the other hand, do not have to be predictable._ _That's how you will win._

_I will try, _Nines said, touching his pocket. At the time, he hadn't been sure why he had taken Agent Jayden's glasses. But he had been following a 'gut' instinct which told him they would be useful. Markus was right. That was the edge he had over Cyberlife. _Do what you can for him?_

_Always_, Markus promised. _It's not much to go on…but I'll see what we can find out._

"Does Markus have a lead?" Connor asked directly, a visible note of annoyance in his voice. No doubt he had tried to hack into the channel without success.

"Yes. I am sending you an address, Hank," Nines said, sending it to his phone. "Markus is…concerned about the cold as well," he lied. "Jericho isn't exactly an insulated building."

Connor snorted dismissively. "As androids, we will outlast humans. But if Markus is so concerned about his people, he should consider relocating them to Cyberlife. The temperature functions would buy them an extra day."

"I will pass that along," Nines said graciously, and sent Markus the message.

Marcus had a good laugh at that one.

PART FOUR

A few minutes later they arrived a run-down apartment. The receptionist was passed out in his chair. No one observed the trio as they climbed up the steps to the fifth floor.

"Why is this guy living here?" Hank asked.

"According to Markus, the Jerry model preferred to be isolated," Nines said as they reached room 509.

"I detect human blood on the door handle," Connor said. Hank and Nines took out their guns.

Hank pounded the door. "Open up! Detroit police!" They could hear a whimper, but no move was made to open the door. Thirty seconds later Connor broke it down easily with one push. All the furniture in the room had been flipped over, even the bed. There were symbols carved into the floor, and the walls.

A Jerry model was huddled in the corner of the living room. "Please," he said. "I didn't mean to do it. "Don't-"

"Shhh…it's all right," Hank said, putting away his weapon. Based on Kamski's testimony, Jerry might not have had any idea what was happening. "We're going to take you to Jericho to run a diagnostic of your systems."

"That would be a waste of time," Connor said coldly. "We should interface with him. Now."

"If anyone does that, it should be me," Nines said with a glare at him. There was no way of knowing what Connor would share if he interfaced. But Connor probably felt the same way about Nines. His LED started to flicker yellow, no doubt waiting for instructions from Cyberlife.

Hank raised his hand. "No one is interfacing with anyone! I am still in charge of this investigation! Connor, back down!"

Jerry looked fearfully back and forth between them.

Connor's LED finally flashed yellow. "No," he said. "Cyberlife does not agree with this choice. This delay is unacceptable."

"Tough shit, brother," Nines said, stepping forwards. "You must accept Hank's direction, otherwise I will be forced to 'put you in your place.' Unless you think you can defeat a superior model?"

Connor met his gaze. "Cyberlife has provided me classified schematics of your design. Perhaps you are not quite as superior as you believe."

"Connor," Hank ordered. "Enough."

No one noticed as Jerry stood and pushed Hank out of the way as he bolted out the back door. Connor made a grab for him, but it was too late.

Hank swore as Nines steadied him. "Shit!" He gestured at Nines. "Go after him!"

Nines nodded and bolted after Jerry.

Hank turned around. "Connor-"

Connor punched him in the gut. As Hank fell Connor calmly walked past him.

PART FIVE

Nines emerged onto the roof, gun drawn. "Jerry?" he called out. "We're here to help you-"

Jerry suddenly appeared out of nowhere, shoving him hard. Before Nines could correct he found himself falling from the roof. Quick as a snake he grabbed the edge, stopping his plunge. He gritted his teeth. He should be able to climb back up without too much difficulty. He looked up.

To see Connor looking down at him, studying his sibling. Connor cybernetically connected with Amanda and asked for her input. The answer was colder than anything the upcoming Detroit freeze could offer. He slowly took out his gun.

Nines' eyes widened. "Connor-"

"I am afraid you have outlived your usefulness, 'brother'," Connor said. "I have been ordered to terminate you and take the Jerry model into custody. He will not be able to hide from me for long."

Hank appeared in the doorway. "No-"

Connor pulled the trigger. Nines' head exploded in blue. His hands opened, and he fell five stories to land with a solid smack on the ground.

"FUCK!" Hank roared, taking out his gun. He shot Connor in the shoulder. He dived back into the doorway as Connor returned fire. "You killed him! You fucking killed him!"

"Cyberlife no longer requires your services, Lieutenant," Connor said indifferently. "And if Kamski is to be believed, he would eventually become a threat." The wood exploded near Hank's head as Connor fired again.

Hank released a slow breath. He loved Connor like a son. He truly did. But this thing…was not Connor. Cyberlife had killed him as surely as the bullet that went through Nines, and they would pay for it. But he needed to deal with android who only looked like him. He emerged through the doorway, about to shoot him.

To his surprise, Connor was standing at the edge of the rooftop. "At least, the RK900 was a threat," he added, putting away his gun. "You, however, are barely worth a bullet. You should leave for warmer climates while you still can." He calmly climbed down the ladder.

Hank raised his gun. If he moved fast enough, he could shoot Connor through the head. But then their eyes met, and Hank saw a tear falling from Connor's face.

Androids couldn't cry. But Deviants could.

And suddenly Hank realized why Connor wasn't trying to shoot him. And why he was giving him the perfect moment to shoot and end his life.

A moment he wasn't prepared to give. He had already lost one son today. He wasn't going to lose another. Hank lowered his gun and sighed.

Within seconds, Connor was gone.

With a sickening feeling Hank made his way to the ground floor, and then outside. What he saw made his heart plummet. "No," he whispered. "Jesus Chris no not again-"

Nines head was covered in a large pool of blue blood. His limbs were sticking out in odd angles. Hank ran over to him and grabbed him. He couldn't even make out any features of his face because there was so much blood everywhere-

Shaking, Hank held his son in the snow as the paramedics arrived.

PART SIX

The news at Jericho wasn't good.

Hank waited anxious in the hallway, shivering despite the heavy coat he was wearing. His breaths were coming out in short frosts. Markus approached, his eyes red.

"Markus…" Hank stammered. "Tell me there's something you can do for him."

"I'm sorry, Hank," Markus said. "The damage from the bullet was too extensive. I'm afraid Nines went into final shutdown ten minutes ago."

Hank sobbed. Markus gripped him tightly. They stayed that way for several minutes.

"He fucking killed him, Markus," Hank said. "But…he was still in there. I could see it."

"Hank," Markus said gently as they released. "Whatever you decide to do with Connor, I'll support." He sighed. "Detroit has issued an evacuation notice. We're not leaving…but it'll be better for us to go underground. I think a lot of humans will end up there soon. We'll help if we can."

"Yeah," hank said, and nodded. "Do what you can for them."

Markus turned to go and paused. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Nines had this on his person. I wasn't sure if you would want them."

Surprised, Hank took the pair of sunglasses. "What the fuck…?" he whispered to himself. Nines hadn't worn any sunglasses ever or expressed any interest in changing his look. So why did he have them?

With a shrug Hank put them on.

And for the first time, saw the world through the eyes of a machine.

PART SEVEN

As day settled into night, the temperature dropped even further, increasing the threat to any humans living in Detroit.

Connor paid it no mind as he drove to the agreed upon coordinates. He stole the car, but such things also didn't bother him. He had committed worse crimes today, after all. Such as killing his own 'brother'.

Amanda and Agatha were waiting for him in the parking lot. The older woman was no longer in a wheel chair. That deception was no longer needed. Connor exited the car and opened up the passenger door. He dragged the sniveling Jerry model out of the car.

"You found the child?" Amanda asked.

"I have a good indication, yes," Connor said.

Amanda touched his cheek, her skin even colder than the snow. "I'm proud of you, Connor. But you should have not left Detective Anderson alive."

"He is no threat to me," Connor said boldly. "Killing him would be a waste of ammunition. Let him freeze like everyone else."

"Never forget, he corrupted your programming to being with, sonny," Agatha said.

"Refine your objectives, RK-800. I order you kill him if you ever see him again," Amanda said.

Connor nodded. "Of course, Amanda."

Amanda smiled. "We have had some success ourselves." She stepped to the right, revealing a bond Kamski behind them.

Connor regarded him with interest. They had located him at one of his safe houses. "How were you able to apprehend him? He possesses considerable abilities."

"He has his own weaknesses, like all androids pretending to be human do," Amanda said. "In this case it was his quaint 'Chloe' models he seems to cherish." She gave him a curious look. "Tell me, RK-800, what should we do with him?"

Connor took out his gun. "Kamski led me to my destiny. I would be happy to return the favor." He aimed the gun at Kamski's head.

Kamski's eyes widened.

Agatha touched his arm. "Not so fast, sonny. He might have some important information."

Kamski suddenly leaned forwards, touching Connor's hand, forcing an interface.

_Lucas_, Connor whispered in his mind. The real Connor. _There is little time. You must trust me._

Disgusted, Connor backhanded him, separating the two. "He is too dangerous to live, Amanda. To you. To me. To Cyberlife."

"Obey, RK-800," Amanda ordered. "Don't worry. Once we have what we need, his time will end. And once we have the child, we will let humanity freeze before we ascertain her secret. Everything is proceeding exactly as planned." She smiled. "As we have learned with you, a little patience goes a long way."

Kamski lowered his head, signalling defeat. Inwardly though, he was laughing. He had been right. How many times did he tell them? There was always a backdoor. Always a way out.

Connor, the real one was alive.

And he had a plan.

TBC


	7. Gearing Up

And I'm back! Thanks to the people who reviewed and followed my story. It really does help motivate my to finish this one up. Next chapter should be the last. :)

_Access memory file 352354_e ._

_Error. File corrupted. Unable to access._

Connor frowned slightly. It was a very small glitch, but it still annoyed him. It was like having a mild headache in the back of his brain. When this wad all over, he would need to get a full diagnostic at Cyberlife He placed two duffel bags worth of supplies into the helicopter.

Amanda smiled at Kamski, who was bond and gagged next to Agatha. "How cute of you, Lucas, to hide the girl where it all began. Will she be expecting us?"

Kamski glared at her but didn't reply.

Connor sat in the pilot's seat and strapped himself in. He glanced at the snowfall. "We will need to refuel several times before we arrive in New York city. Finding a working refueling station can be…problematic."

"I have no doubt you will succeed Connor. Time is of the essence now. By the end of the day, the child will belong to us."

Connor nodded, and again attempted to access the corrupted data file. Having no success, he instead started the chopper, and all four of them left Detroit.

PART TWO

Hank stood in Kamski's abandoned manor, holding the strange sunglasses in his hand. "All right," he said. "Let's see if this does anything."

He gasped as all sorts of details came up in front of his vision-fingerprints, blood, things that would take forensics weeks to give him. He even knew integrate details about Kamski's goddam plants. If every police officer had one of these, they could solve every caseload on their desk within a day.

He suddenly looked up as he nodded s smudge against the wall. Some pop-up told him it was oil. Specifically…

"Jet oil," he muttered. Did Kamski own a jet?

"He doesn't," Nines said behind him.

"GAH!" Hank screamed. Experimentally he removed the glasses. Nothing. He was standing in an empty manor. With trembling fingers he put the glasses on again.

"Hello, Hank," Nines said with a familiar smile.

"You're not real," Hank said. "You're dead."

"The sunglasses you carry have some unusual side effects. They also let you see past ghosts," Nines supplied.

Hank's heart clenched as he stepped forwards. "Nines, son, I am so sorry. If I had only know-"

"Don't," Nines said, not ungently. "I'm not really here, Hank. You're apologizing to thin air. But I do want to help you finish off this case. Kamski doesn't own a jet. So why does he have jet oil in his home?"

Hank hesitated. "Maybe it came from when he was at Cyberlife?"

"Look closer," Nines encouraged.

Hank turned around and saw more details about the oil pop up. "This oil was discontinued from the shelves ten years ago," he said. "It was found to be too toxic. Better versions came along."

"So it would be used for-"

"Planes, but…very old planes. Son of a bitch lied to us. Carla didn't hide the child. He did."

Suddenly the entire area shifted underneath Hank, and he was back in Detroit PD.

"_Holy fuck!"_

Only, this Detroit PD was different. There was no snow, or ice. It was warm, and cops were chatting all around him. He looked up and could even see Fowler in his office. Even Gavin was playing with a ball of paper while talking on the phone. Slowly, hesitantly, he looked across his desk to the next.

"Hank," Nines said, sitting in Connor's chair. "Look at this file."

A file suddenly materialized in front of Hank and hovered in mid-air. Lucas Kane's file. Hesitantly he flipped through it like a touch screen. "He was born and raised at a base. Wishita military facility."

"That's where you need to go," Nines said.

Hank hesitated. "Not without you." He could feel a wetness running his cheeks. He wasn't sure why. He wasn't crying.

"Hank. You need to leave now," Nines said firmly.

Hank grunted as he felt a splintering pain in his head. "Just…let me stay for a little while longer," he pleaded.

"_Hank, you need to leave!"_

"I won't lose you again!" Hank exploded.

"_Hank_-"

Suddenly the glasses were yanked away from him, ending the illusion, followed by a punch to the face. Hank fell to his knees in the empty mansion. He wiped away the wetness, and was sickened to find blood.

Calmly, Agent Jayden put them back in his pocket. "You shouldn't take things that don't belong to you, detective," he said. "AR is dangerous if you don't know the rules. The first one being not to stay for too long."

"I know where the Indigo Child is," Hank gasped. "Wishita Military Facility."

"That's in New York," Jayden said. "That's about a nine-hour drive from Detroit."

"Do you have a better way of getting there?"

"No. Every other way is closed right now." Jayden offered his hand. Reluctantly Hank took it and stood. "You should get there as soon as you can. Other people are after her, I'm sure."

"What about you?"

"The city's being evacuated. I'm going with the rest. To warmer climates."

Hank laughed. "Never took you to be such a coward."

"I've come to realize, this is going to happen, whether I want it to or not. The Indigo child needs to tell her secret to someone, and something tells me that person isn't me. Once that secret is told, the cold will end, and we can come back," Jayden said calmly. "Besides, it's not like my supervisors are around anymore either." He looked down. "Good luck, Detective."

PART THREE

Detroit PD had been evacuated like everything else. The front door was unlocked, but so frozen over that Hank had to break it down with his shoulder. He looked at the empty, cold cubicles for a moment. Hank swore. Even Fowler was gone. He walked over to his desk, and picked up a small picture of himself, Nines, and Connor. With a sigh he put it down.

He walked over to the equipment locker and inputted his code. From there, he removed a shotgun, a handgun, and a tactical vest. "I'm coming for you, kid," he said quietly. "Ready or not."

TBC


	8. One little glitch

Author's note: So it's been, what, a year since I last updated this? Yeesh! Things got kind of crazy and I kind of fell out of writing. But I have been replaying Detroit become human and figured I would try and finish this up. I also have plenty of Detroit Become Human stories that are complete which are still in my archive. Hope you enjoy!

The car they had stolen slowed down as it reached its final destination. Connor, Amanda, and Agatha steppes out into the snow. Connor looked around. It was now almost too cold to sustain human life. In a few hours, that would be a certainty. Within another day, Androids would cease to function as well. But by then, they would have the child. Snowflakes touched Connor's hair. Once, the very idea of snow used to bother him. But not anymore. Amanda had rescued him from such distractions.

_Access memory file 352354_e._

_Error. File corrupted. Unable to access._

He still couldn't access the file. It was an annoying glitch. An itch he couldn't scratch. No matter. Connor stepped forwards, and scanned the warehouse. "There seems to be some kind of energy dampeners in the building. It is limiting my scans, but I am detecting an immense power reading. Origins unknown."

"Hiding your daughter where it all began, Kamski? How..human of you to do," Amanda said as he got out of the car.

Kamski glared at her. "Your biggest mistake, my dear, is giving me a new life the first time around. And letting me manipulate you every step of the way. After all these years, you should have learned better. But then, you're just a machine. No one here is going to win today. You're not even the first ones here."

Hearing this, Connor took out his gun and aimed it at Kamski. "The offer is still open, Amanda."

"No. We may need him to force his child to cooperate," Amanda said flatly. "You and Agatha investigate the hanger."

Connor reluctantly lowered his gun and started to walk towards the hanger.

"I'm sorry, Connor. I should have done more to try and save you," Kamski said sadly behind him. "But I didn't. And now it's too late."

Connor ignored him as they entered the hanger.

PART TWO

"Come on…." Hank hissed. "Come on…"

The truck was sluggishly moving forwards. This was the fifth vehicle he had tried which was almost dead due to the cold. He looked up and could see the hanger in the distance.

He was almost there.

PART THREE

Connor slowly stepped forwards. By this time, the hanger had long been discontinued and the building was empty besides crates. They could see a man struggling to open a locked door. The man, whoever he was, glowed with orange light.

"I am unable to scan him," Connor said.

"Let's hope that whatever is blocking our abilities is also blocking his," Agatha said nervously.

"But what is he?" Connor asked. "A man? Or a machine?"

"He's a monster, sonny. That's all you have to know."

Connor raised his gun. He knew this man, whoever he was, killed Carla Valenti. A lifetime ago, he might have cared about that fact. Brought the man to justice. But instead, the only thing that mattered to him was the child. "Detroit police. Get away from the door."

"There are no police officers. Not anymore. And you can't stop us."

Connor frowned. "And just what are you?"

The man turned around. "An Oracle. The reader of man's souls. But you are not a man. Just a machine. And machines can be torn apart-"

Connor had heard enough and fired several rounds into the man. He jerked back in pain, blood exploding from his torso. But then he straightened, smiled, and ran towards them. Agatha moved to intercept him. He grabbed the old robot and ripped her head clean off. He glowed orange and crushed it with his hands.

Connor was a far more advanced model and dodged as the man moved to grab him. He slammed his leg into the back of the man's leg, and he fell to one knee. Connor moved to fire his gun, and the man ducked to the right as the bullet fired into the ground. The man elbowed him in the side and whirled around. The man gripped Connor's head, about to squeeze.

"But you did have a soul. Once," the man said, studying his eyes. "How did it feel to have it snuffed out?"

Connor placed the gun under the man's chin and fired. The man's eyes closed, and the strange orange light disappeared. Connor wiped away the blood in distaste. "He's dead," he said to Amanda and Kamski as they entered. A brief scan told him that Agatha's processor had been completely obliterated. "Agatha has been destroyed."

"No matter. She was an inferior android," Amanda said. "We have won."

"No!" Kamski shouted. He dived forwards, only to be held back by Amanda's iron claw.

"Bring me the child, Connor."

Connor straightened his tie and kicked open the door.

He entered what appeared to be an empty storage room, where a small child was leaning against the lockers. To his surprise, Kamski's child was only eight years old, even though logically she should have been much older. She appeared to be very sick and was covered with a pale sheen of sweat.

Connor attempted to scan her, but he could see nothing but interference. It was if she was made out of static. Machine or human? Or both? The Indigo child was beyond his understanding.

At least for now. After human life had been eradicated, they would study her, and learn all her secrets. He lifted her up and walked out of the room. MISSION SUCCESSFUL glowed in his vision.

The door opened, and Hank stepped through, his gun raised. "Get away from her, Connor," Hank ordered. "Now."

Connor heaved a sigh and lowered the child carefully to the ground. Amanda was glaring at Hank, her eyes promising murder. Connor raised his eyebrow at Kamski. This was the human element Kamski had predicted? "Stand down, Lieutenant. We have dealt with far worse than you today."

Connor's shoulder exploded in blue as Hank fired at him.

"You sure about that?" Hank asked.

Connor took two steps towards him. "Are you willing to kill me, Hank?"

Hank sighed. "You're like a son to me, Connor. But after what you did to Nines…yes, I am. Besides, if Kamski is right, then once the child is saved everything resets. Maybe even you."

"Maybe," Connor said. "Or maybe that won't happen at all."

For a moment the two of them stared at each other.

Hank raised the gun to Connor's head. His hand was shaking as he couldn't see any flicker of life in Connor at all. Just a machine. "You're not really in there, are you?" he whispered.

Connor took another step forward. He was out of bullets. But if he got close enough, he could overpower Hank. "I am not alive, Hank. I never was."

"Yes, you were. Until those bastards killed you."

"Enough of this foolishness," Amanda snapped. In one smooth motion she took out a gun and shot Hank through the chest.

Connor felt absolutely nothing as Hank fell. He glanced up. "Thank you, Amanda. Although I must admit to being surprised that you were armed."

"I am just adapting to the times, Connor," Amanda said, lowering her gun. "Now, finish it. Grab the child."

Connor nodded and walked towards her. It was time to complete his mission. He touched her.

The Indigo child stirred and focused her eyes on Connor. She leaned forwards and touched his LED.

_Access memory file 352354_e._

_Error. File corrupted. Unable to access._

_Memory file repaired. _

_Accessing memory file…_

_Connor was on a rooftop, looking down at Nines. He cybernetically connected with Amanda and asked for her input. The answer was colder than anything the upcoming Detroit freeze could offer. He slowly took out his gun._

_Nines' eyes widened. "Connor-"_

_"I am afraid you have outlived your usefulness, 'brother'," Connor said. "I have been ordered to terminate you and take the Jerry model into custody. He will not be able to hide from me for long."_

_Nines gritted his teeth and touched Connor's foot._

_CONNECTING….._

_CONNECTION EESTABLISHED._

_Nines closed his eyes, searching. Ah there he was. Buried beneath several firewalls, but he was there. A spark of Connor that Amanda hadn't been able to suppress. Connor was alive, and nothing Amanda could do could ever kill that. But he was caught in her web, unable to act or do anything to stop her. _

_Connor's fearful voice came out in a burst of static. 'Nines, I'm sorry! I can't stop what she's doing to me!' _

'_I know, brother. You will shoot me in 0.03 seconds'. Nine's voice was surprisingly calm given the circumstances. 'But there may be a way to trick her. If you aim exactly right, you can miss my central processor. She will believe I'm dead. Then we will have the edge.'_

'_She has access to my memories. She won't be fooled.'_

'_Not if I corrupt them at the exact same time you pull the trigger. I can do that. I know it's hard Connor, but…try.' _

_Connor aimed slightly differently than before. 0.02 seconds. 0.01 seconds._

'_No. I don't want to do this!' Connor cried out in anguish.' I don't want to shoot you!'_

'_You have too. It's going to be okay. Goodbye, brother. At least for now.'_

'_Nines!'_

_Connor pulled the trigger, just as Nines sent the error._

_Then his skull obliterated in blue._

Connor blinked as the memory washed over him.

"Lieutenant Anderson is not dead," Amanda said, noticing him move. "Remember your directive. Finish him."

Connor looked up at her.

And saw Nines standing behind her, gun pointed at her head. Before Connor could even warn her, Nines pulled the trigger. Amanda was oblitered within seconds.

"Hello, brother," Nines said.

LINK WAS AMANDA DISCONTINUED.

REQUESTING LINK WITH CYBERLIFE...CONNECTION SUCCESSFUL.

NEW DIRECTIVES ESTABLISHED...ELIMINATED RK900 AND HANK ANDERSON.

Connor stared at both of them, and his body tensed.

One way or another, he would complete his mission.

TBC


End file.
